With all of the recent legal hoopla regarding pit bulls, I thought that I would weigh in on another less controversial species of animal that is subject to municipal regulation in most towns. Chickens are increasingly appearing in backyards.

Are you allowed to keep, or raise them in yours? Is so, how many? If you already have them, what would you do if they were suddenly banned outright?

And how would you know about a draft regulation that might have an impact on how and where you live if you don’t read your town council minutes of meetings, or, as they are known here, procès-verbaux?

Why, one might read a published public notice perhaps, too. Known as projets de règlements, these proposals can often make the difference between something becoming an actual bylaw, or not, in your town.

Case in point, while most town councils across Quebec were urgently debating the implementation of new bylaws and regulations last week to deal with pit bulls on their territories, Notre-Dame-de-L’Ile-Perrot, having already dealt with the pit bull issue in years past, moved to approve a different animal bylaw altogether. I’ve written about this particular pending issue before, and to my knowledge the advent has met with minimal opposition.

Now, after a couple of years of clucking and consultation about the notion of allowing chickens to be kept in residential backyards, NDIP council has unanimously adopted a motion in an effort to modify it’s zoning rules to do just that at a meeting this month.

Project proposal number 437-40 outlines the procedures and processes that must be in order prior to full roll-out: Namely, that a further public consultation be held at the Carrefour Notre-Dame on a yet-to-be-determined date and that the request and proposal be forwarded to the MRC Vaudreuil-Soulanges for an analysis of conformity. Unless there is something amiss, or out of order on that front, eggs could be laid soon.

While any question of allowing chicken husbandry in suburban and urban backyards will surely still ruffle a few feathers locally, I don’t think that raising chickens will rile the masses if finally approved, nor will the notion go on to create anything near the type of hysteria occurring in regard to potentially dangerous dogs in neighbourhoods.

Break a few eggs on the matter and have your say. Do you agree with allowing backyard chickens in your town? Or, is it a non-issue?

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